This invention relates to a grain drying bin and more particularly to a grain drying bin having a tension band which extends around the lower end of a grain drying floor positioned within the bin.
In grain drying bins such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,501,845; 3,943,636 and 4,035,928, a perforated grain drying floor is provided within the bin above the lower end thereof. The grain to be dried is deposited on the perforated drying floor with the drying air being passed upwardly through the grain to dry the same. When the grain has been dried, the grain is normally dumped through troughs or dump chutes located at the lower end of the drying floor.
In grain drying bins such as described in the above-identified patents, it is necessary to provide sufficient support for the grain drying floor since a large amount of weight is imposed thereon by the grain positioned thereon. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,035,928, a stiffening or strengthening tube was secured to the underside of the grain drying floor by a plurality of U-shaped clips or brackets. The stiffening tube in the U.S. Pat. No. '928 patent was length-adjustable to enable the grain drying floor to be placed in compression to stiffen the same.
Although the stiffening tube described in the U.S. Pat. No. '928 patent did sufficiently strengthen the grain drying floor, the stiffening tube described therein was not able to uniformly transfer the weight of the grain drying floor to the walls of the bin. Further, the tube described in the U.S. Pat. No. '928 patent was rather difficult to fabricate.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the invention to provide an improved means for stiffening or strengthening a grain drying floor positioned within a grain drying bin.
A further object of the invention is to provide a tension band for a grain drying bin which is economical to manufacture.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tension band for a grain drying bin which is easy to fabricate.
Yet another object of the invention is to provide a tension band for a grain drying bin which transfers the weight of the grain drying floor to the concrete foundation supporting the bin through vertical supports.
These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.